OVP’s Lopez to seek court relief from House detention

MANILA, Philippines — Undersecretary Zuleika Lopez will be suing for her freedom from detention under the House of Representatives, Vice President Sara Duterte said yesterday.

Lopez, who has been confined at Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) since Saturday, has hired lawyers to take her freedom from House detention to the courts.

“Her detention was extended and she’s meeting with lawyers … Her mother said they want to take this to courts,” Duterte told reporters.

“She said she’ll take legal steps (because of the extension). Let’s just wait for the next move of her lawyers,” she added.

Asked about her condition, Duterte said Lopez still refuses to eat.

The House ordered Lopez’s detention after she was cited in contempt for her alleged interference in a probe on the confidential funds of offices led by Duterte.

Duterte described the House order to transfer Lopez to the corrections facility as an “attempted homicide,” which triggered Lopez’s unspecified health condition.

Because of the ordeal, Lopez expressed her intention to step down as the Vice President’s chief-of-staff after the House of Representatives concludes its hearings on Duterte’s confidential funds, citing the emotional strain of the process.

Meanwhile, Duterte said Special Disbursement Officer Gina Acosta – who was rushed to the VMMC Monday night – was still undergoing tests to rule out serious medical conditions such as a stroke.

“Her blood pressure shot up to 150/100 and she lost consciousness. She was unresponsive upon arriving at the emergency room but she turned out OK after. However, doctors saw the need for follow up check ups so she was admitted,” Duterte said.

Duterte told Acosta’s doctors to ensure she was clear of health risks before allowing her to attend another House inquiry, saying her family has had a history of fatal heart attacks.

“What if the next time, she’ll have a stroke or heart attack? We’re lucky that wasn’t the case (last night). But the family has a history of heart attack. Both parents and some relatives died of a heart attack,” Duterte added.

The special disbursing officers (SDOs) of the OVP and the DepEd revealed yesterday that they disbursed multimillion-peso